Roger Dubuis is a Swiss watch manufacturer of luxury watches based in Geneva, Switzerland. The company was founded by Roger Dubuis and Carlos Dias in 1995.

Manufacture Roger Dubuis
IndustryWatchmaking
Founded1995
FounderRoger Dubuis & Carlos Dias
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsWatches & jewellery
ParentRichemont International SA
Websitewww.rogerdubuis.com

In 2008, the company was acquired by Richemont group.[1]

The Roger Dubuis watches include the Excalibur and Velvet collections,[2] along with motorsports watches in collaboration with Lamborghini, Squadra Corse, and Pirelli.[3]

History

edit
 
Computer-generated Graphic Image of Roger Dubuis Manufacture in Geneva, Switzerland

Roger Dubuis started his career at Longines in the late 1950s, and founded his own atelier in 1980 after 14 years of developing complications in Geneva for Patek Philippe. He took commissions to design new complications for major brands for several years. Carlos Dias, a designer for Franck Muller, joined Dubuis to launch the brand.[4]

The Roger Dubuis Manufacture in Geneva was founded in 1995. After four years of development,[3] In 1999, the company unveiled first watches that were fully designed and developed in-house.[5]

In 2001, Roger Dubuis built his manufacturing facility in Meyrin, on the outskirts of Geneva.[6]

In 2005, the Excalibur collection was launched, equipped with Double Tourbillon Skeleton movement.[7]

In August 2008, Richemont Group acquired 60% of Roger Dubuis. In 2016, the group has acquired the remaining 40% of the company.[8]

Co-founder Roger Dubuis died in October 2017.[9]

Movements

edit
 
Roger Dubuis Double Flying Tourbillon RD01SQ movement

Roger Dubuis is one of the few Swiss watch companies that produces most of its caliber components in-house. Roger Dubuis calibers are made up of several hundred hand-finished components.[10]

Most Roger Dubuis timepieces bear the Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva Hallmark, certifying a watchmaking quality specific to Geneva.[11][12]

The main movements produced by Roger Dubuis are:

  • RD820SQ Automatic skeleton watch with micro-rotor[13]
  • RD505SQ Single Flying Tourbillon[14]
  • RD01SQ Skeleton double flying tourbillon[15]
  • RD101 Quatuor, with four sprung balances[16]
  • RD103SQ Double sprung balances with differential - this was the first Roger Dubuis movement co-created in partnership with Lamborghini Squadra Corse.[17]

Roger Dubuis calibers are made of gold, diamonds and titanium, as well as new materials such as carbon, ceramic and cobalt.[18] Most of the timepieces are skeleton watches.[19]

 
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton in Carbon RDDBEX0508

Motorsport partnerships

edit

Roger Dubuis started collaboration with the motorsport companies in 2017.[20]

  • Lamborghini Squadra Corse[21][22]
  • Pirelli - these timepieces feature rubber inlays from Pirelli tyres.[23]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Compagnie Financière Richemont SA - Richemont acquires 60 per cent interest in Manufacture Roger Dubuis SA". www.richemont.com. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  2. ^ "Our collections". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  3. ^ a b Morschett, Dirk; Schramm-Klein, Hanna; Zentes, Joachim (2011-02-04). Strategic International Management: Text and Cases. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-3-8349-6331-4.
  4. ^ Su, Jiaxian (2017-10-15). "The True Story of Roger Dubuis (1938-2017)". SJX Watches. Mr Dubuis began his watchmaking career during the golden age of Swiss watchmaking, starting at Longines in the late 1950s. [...] He then moved to Geneva to work for Patek Philippe as a constructor and watchmaker in the high complications workshop [...] / After 14 years at the pedigreed Geneva watchmaker, he left in 1980 to set up a small workshop where he repaired watches and clocks for collectors, auction houses and watch brands. [...] in the early 1990s Mr Dubuis, the modest, subtle watchmaker, met Carlos Dias, who later became the swaggering impresario of the Roger Dubuis brand.
  5. ^ "Roger Dubuis watches - Roger Dubuis Brand - Roger Dubuis Excalibur - WorldTempus". en.worldtempus.com. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  6. ^ "Manufacture". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  7. ^ "History - Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie". www.hautehorlogerie.org. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  8. ^ "Richemont buys rest of Roger Dubuis in watch industry shake-up". Reuters. 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  9. ^ Lankarani, Nazanin (2017-11-02). "Roger Dubuis, a Master Watchmaker, Dies at 79". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  10. ^ "Manufacture Exclusive Calibers". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  11. ^ "Poinçon de Genève". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  12. ^ "Poinçon de Genève". Poinçon de Genève. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  13. ^ "Automatic skeleton watch with micro-rotor RD820SQ". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  14. ^ "Skeleton Flying Tourbillon RD505SQ". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  15. ^ "Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon RD01SQ". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  16. ^ "Quatuor RD101". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  17. ^ "Double Sprung Balances with Differential RD103SQ". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  18. ^ "Excalibur Spider Carbon Skeleton Flying Tourbillon | RDDBEX0572". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  19. ^ "Skeleton". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  20. ^ "DareToRace". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  21. ^ "Lamborghini Squadra Corse x Roger Dubuis". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  22. ^ "Lamborghini Squadra Corse Selection". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  23. ^ "Pirelli x Roger Dubuis". Roger Dubuis. Retrieved 2019-04-15.